Bengaluru, Nov 29: Karnataka’s political climate has resembled a pot kept on simmer for months never boiling over, yet never cooling down. That familiar steam rose again this week, forcing the Congress leadership to orchestrate a carefully timed breakfast meeting between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday.
Over idli-sambar at the Chief Minister’s Cauvery residence, the two senior leaders presented a united front, repeating the familiar script: “The high command will decide; we will abide; there is no rift.”
But the very need for a photo-op meeting revealed what lies beneath—an unresolved leadership question that refuses to disappear.
A Question the Congress Can’t Escape
Since the party’s return to power in May 2023, the issue of who will lead Karnataka has resurfaced repeatedly—during cabinet formation, whispers of reshuffle, and now as the government crosses its halfway mark.
Shivakumar’s camp insists a rotation understanding was made in 2023; Siddaramaiah’s camp insists there was no such deal.
This week, the debate escalated as several MLAs aligned with Shivakumar travelled to Delhi, openly signalling that the “2023 understanding” must be honoured.
Adding intrigue, Shivakumar hinted at an undisclosed internal pact:
“It is a secret deal between five or six of us… I don’t want to speak publicly.”
Siddaramaiah responded sharply and firmly:
“I will be chief minister for a full five-year term.”
With MLAs taking sides, the Congress high command intervened, warning legislators against public statements and summoning leaders back from Delhi.
Caste Pressure Mounts as Opposition Attacks
This time, the tension extended beyond political corridors.
Adichunchanagiri Mutt seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami publicly backed Shivakumar, reminding the Congress that the Vokkaliga community supported the party expecting DKS to be given the top post.
His message was unequivocal:
“Mr Shivakumar has worked for the party. He should get a chance.”
The BJP quickly seized the moment.
State BJP president BY Vijayendra accused the government of “running from Delhi”, while Shahnawaz Hussain said the breakfast meeting itself showed “clear tension”.
The Congress dismissed the allegations, with General Secretary KC Venugopal insisting everything was “normal”. But the timing and scripting of the meeting suggested the party understands the fragility of the moment.
A Decision That Could Reshape Karnataka Politics
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are indispensable to the Congress:
Siddaramaiah — mass leader, welfare icon, AHINDA architect
Shivakumar — organisational strategist, fundraiser, Vokkaliga heavyweight
The Congress cannot afford to alienate either, which leaves Delhi weighing the same three options:
Keep Siddaramaiah as CM and compensate Shivakumar through cabinet restructuring
Hand over the CM post mid-term as part of a rotation formula
Announce a future transition to keep both camps pacified until 2028
Having witnessed the fallouts of Gehlot–Pilot in Rajasthan and Kamal Nath Scindia in Madhya Pradesh, the party is wary of repeating history in a state as crucial as Karnataka.
Optics Managed, Problem Deferred
Saturday’s breakfast meeting achieved one goal: calming visible tensions. Both leaders smiled, pledged unity, and spoke of working together for the 2028 Assembly Elections.
But behind the curtains, the core question remains unanswered who will lead Karnataka for the next two years?
For now, the Congress hopes the curtain stays in place long enough for the high command to script the final act.
Karnataka watches, waiting not for a confrontation, but for a quiet decision that could redefine the state’s political landscape.